Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Raising the Grain Price
Chapter 238: Raising the Grain Price
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Although the city gate was open, due to Xiao Nanye’s presence at the entrance, the refugees didn’t dare to step forward.
They had also heard what Xiao Nanye just said.
With both of their promise to distribute food here, the refugees were filled with hope now.
The people Cheng Mansion arrived very quickly. Jiang Peihuan heard the rhythmic sound of hoofbeats.
Han Feng has leaded the group here.
Behind him was a line of carts, all laden with grain.
Jiang Peihuan stepped forward, directing the King Cheng Mansion’s people to unload the grain and set up the cooking pots.
The grain was quickly cooked, and everything was ready within a quarter of an hour.
Looking at the vast crowd, Jiang Peihuan frowned.
“Eldest Miss, do you have any other instructions?”
Han Feng, who had been by Jiang Peihuan’s side, immediately approached her upon seeing her concerned expression.
“Have them line up: the elder and children first, then the women.”
“Yes.”
Han Feng tried to organize the refugees into lines, but they were unfamiliar with such order.
There was troublemaker disobey Jiang Peihuan’s instructed. Without negotiation, Han Feng taught him a lesson. With the scenario, everyone started to queue up properly.
The queues for each line were so long they seemed endless even with five large pots ready.
More and more people kept arriving from other gates.
“Huan Er?”
Jiang Peihuan searched around once she heard the voice was calling her.
Jiang Changbai has returned from the military camp. Beside him were Xue Qi and Xue Zhi.
“Elder Brother, Cousin Qi, Cousin Zhi.”
Upon seeing the three of them, Jiang Peihuan stepped forward and bowed.
“Huan Er, ain’t the food station was inside the city? Why are you doing here?”
As he spoke, Jiang Changbai looked around.
Jiang Changbai’s eyes were filled with worry.
“Elder Brother, if there’s nothing else, you can stay and help.” After Jiang Peihuan briefly explained the matter, she looked at Jiang Changbai and said.
“Alright, I’ll help too.”
“Huan Er, we can help too.”
Xue Qi and Xue Zhi who were at the side also agreed to help.
With their help, three more big pots were added.
The entire entrance to the city was filled with the aroma of porridge. The refugees who received their porridge had tears in their eyes.
“Eldest Miss, if this continues, we’ll run out of grain.”
Han Feng approached Jiang Peihuan and whispered.
Even though they had bought a lot of grain from the Liu family’s shop, it wasn’t enough for every tummy to fill up.
“Eldest Miss, should 1 return to the Liu family’s shop to buy more grain?”
“We can’t rely on the Liu family for now.”
Jiang Peihuan had already taken a large amount of food and cotton clothes from the Liu family. If she took more, even the Liu family would not be able to bear it.
“Have you gone to other shops to check on the situation?” Jiang Peihuan said softly,
“Yes, but the other merchants are offering extremely high prices.”
“Only the Liu Family’s shops are selling at usual price.”
“Liu family’s shop was running out of stocks soon.”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Peihuan looked at Han Feng and said,” Let’s go to the city to buy food.”
“Yes, Miss!”
“You stay here and guard. I will take Han Feng to the city to buy food.” Jiang Peihuan needed Xiao Nanye to keep things in order.
“Alright.”
“Do you have enough money?”
Xiao Nanye asked Jiang Peihuan before she took her leave.
“Don’t worry, there’s still quite a lot of money you gave me earlier.”
After saying that, Jiang Peihuan rode her horse towards the city.
Once in the city, she first checked on the porridge distribution situation at the General’s Mansion. Jiang Peihuan, accompanied by Han Feng, proceeded to the city’s grain shop.
“Eldest Miss, are you here to buy grain?”
When the shopkeeper saw Jiang Peihuan enter, his eyes were full of smiles.
He was well aware of the General’s Mansion’s porridge distribution in the city. The more porridge distributed, the more grain she would need, which meant more profits for them.
“Yes, I’m here for the grain.”
Jiang Peihuan nodded with a smile.
“Shopkeeper, what’s the price for this grain?”
“Eldest Miss, this grain has better quality. Therefore, the price is a bit higher compared to regular grain, two hundred wen per jin.”
“Two hundred wen?”
Jiang Peihuan’s eyes were filled with unsightly expressions.
In the past, a jin of grain was only fifty copper coins, and it shared the same quality.
“Eldest Miss you knows that rice are rare now, so…” Perhaps the shopkeeper also realized the expression of Jiang Peihuan.
“So you merchants can capitalize on the situation, profiting from the nation’s crisis?”
Jiang Peihuan interrupted him before he could finish.
Upon hearing her words, the shopkeeper started to panic, “Eldest Miss, why say such things? Every shop in the capital is raising prices.”
“The Liu family’s shop hasn’t.”
Han Feng, who was beside Jiang Peihuan, remarked coldly.
“They are simply naive.”
Although the shopkeeper’s muttering voice was very soft, Jiang Peihuan and Han Feng were both martial arts practitioners and had excellent hearing, so they could still hear it clearly.
Jiang Peihuan’s eyes revealed a bit of gloominess.
Initially, she planned to negotiate reasonably, but now it seemed futile.
“Let me be direct. The grain we buy today is for King Cheng. There are hundreds of thousands of refugees there. Do you still want to charge two hundred wen today?”
“This… Eldest Miss, please don’t make things difficult for me.”
“So, you are sticking to that price?”
Jiang Peihuan’s smile remained, but her eyes had given the shopkeeper a warning signal.
“Eldest Miss, why bother talking so much to him? If our master were here, he would probably be dead by now. He only dragging this out because you are too kind.”
I’ll only ask you once. Are you going to lower the price of grain or not?” Han Feng pulled out his sword and pointed it at the shopkeeper’s neck.
“W-what do you want? You… Ah…”
Before the shopkeeper could finish his words, Han Feng’s sword had already cut his arm.
“Are you going to lower the price or not?” Han Feng’s sword was aimed at the shopkeeper’s other hand.
“1,1 don’t have the final say. This shop isn’t mine. I’m just following orders.”
“Then can you tell me, whose shop is this?”
“It belongs to the Lin family..”